1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns apparatus and methods for cooking food, in a microwave oven and/or in a thermal oven, in an improved, prior-art, microwave food preparation apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art teaches to use microwave browning grills, microwave-convection ovens, microwave-electric ovens and the sequential heating of a food first in a microwave oven and then on or in a conventional range. Notwithstanding, many believe that the time honored cooking results of gas and electric cooking, have not yet been achieved in microwave cooking.
This invention concerns apparatus and methods which combine the time honored cooking results of the high power gas and electric range with the time honored cooking results of the low-power, domestic microwave oven. The present invention teaches new methods and new accessories to enhance the utility of the microwave oven apparatus taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,990 in gas and electric cooking.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,990 discloses a microwave oven kit which contains the following elements:
1. an outer metal pot, PA0 2. an inner metal pot which has a perforated base fitted into the outer pot, PA0 3. a glass cover, and PA0 4. an insulating means which protects the outer metal pot from chance contact with electrically conductive microwave oven walls. PA0 1. The apparatus is fabricated to withstand greater than 500.degree. F. oven temperatures and is suitable for cooking, crusting and browning food therewith on or in a conventional range. PA0 2. Perforations are specially placed and special standoff construction is located on the walls of the inner metal pot. PA0 3. The inner pot is provided with handles. PA0 4. The cover is improved by: PA0 5. The present invention teaches a method where the by-products, of a cooking food, are used as a constituent for simultaneous cooking of a food in a microwave-shielded, by-product, collection chamber. For example, microwave cooking and then conventionally roasting of a chicken while, at the same time, preparing and cooking a chicken stuffing, constituted with the by-product juices and fat, of said cooking chicken, in a microwave shielded, collection chamber. PA0 6. A method in which meat is: PA0 7. A method in which chunks of meat are skewered, on a heavy metal skewer and cooked, on a metal perforated food supporting surface, in a microwave oven. Said chunks of meat standoff the metal skewer from electrical contact with said metal food supporting surface. PA0 8. Apparatus and methods of cooking food where the food is suspended vertically on supports projecting from the base of a perforated metal pot. PA0 9. Apparatus and methods of cooking food where the food is supported, on an adjustable, metal grid, horizontally above and not in contact with the base of a perforated metal pot. PA0 10. Improvements in methods of employing stuffing and coating mixes. PA0 11. Apparatus and methods of cooking food where the food is cooked by heat stored in an 8 oz. to 5 lb. heat sink supported above the base of a metal pot.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,990 teaches a collection chamber, between said two metal pots, shielded from exposure to microwave energy. In operation, microwave energy penetrates the glass to heat a food and to drive off liquids and vapors from the food. Small amounts of the vapor, condense on the inner walls of the cover and the outer walls of the inner pot. Large amounts of vapor condenses on and, as liquid, fall from the food supporting surface of the inner pot. The food supporting surface, of the inner pot, acts as a heat exchanger. It exchanges the cold of the food it contacts with the latent heat released as vapor condenses on exposed portions of said food supporting surface. Liquid by-products, released as the food cooks in the inner pot, pass through the perforated base of the inner pot into the collection chamber. The condensed vapor and said liquid by-products collect in the collection chamber.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/201,606 filed 06/03/88 concerns other improvements on U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,990 which could be useful here.